Sir Cumference and the dragon of pi: A math adventure

I think this book was done really well. It has enough of a story to keep kids interested, and the math doesn't take over so much that it becomes like reading a text book. It has just enough math talk in to get the message about how we get pi across, and I really like that they use a familiar visual reference. I really think that this would be a great book to introduce the concept to kids for them to get a concrete understanding. I also thought it was cute how they explained how we got the word "pi". I purchased this at the same time as Sir Cumference and the First Round Table and SC & the Isle of Immeter, and now I am going to add all the rest of the books in the Charlesbridge Math Adventures series to my wish list. I think they're great!

I picked up this book since I was learning about Pi in a math class and I am really glad that I did. My daughter liked the dragon and I liked that it had math ideas for names of the characters. Some of the other revues questioned the idea of using Pi in such a way, but as a teacher, isn't getting students to learn the material the point? The best way to get students to learn is by making it interesting and enjoyable and I believe this book did just that. I will be getting the rest of the set - for myself just as much as my daughter.

I feel the age range given on the website should not be ages 4-8. This is appropriate for 8 and up. That said, my 5 year old enjoys it as just a fairy tale and I would not attempt any "teaching" to him. He listens as I read it to my older daughters and maybe it will seep in so when he's old enough to begin measuring, he will easily grasp the concepts. This is a wonderful book - good illustrations and a clever story. The author works the math part in without it being cumbersome. A few times through this book and your child will have a good grasp of pi. At the least, it will be a good memory trigger if he/she needs help in class.

My kids love this book! They range in age from an 11 yr old girl to a 3 yr old boy and they all enjoy it! My son loves the story and the knights and adventure. And, he is learning something in the process. My older kids enjoy the story also but on a different level and it also reinforces what they have already learned! What a great concept! I can't wait for more to come out! We already own all 4!

I have use this book in my middle school classroom. The kids enjoy it. Yes, it is silly but heck so are middle school kids! Since reading the book and discussing it, the kids have a much better understanding of what pi really is, instead of just saying about 3.14.